New COVID-19 death reported in Beaufort County Wednesday, the 2nd this week

Beaufort County has one new COVID-19 related death and 38 new cases Wednesday, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.

The victim is described by DHEC as being elderly. No other information was available as of early Wednesday afternoon.

It is the second COVID-19 death reported in Beaufort County this week.

The death of a 55-year-old Beaufort man was reported Tuesday. The man died on June 13 at Beaufort Memorial Hospital.

Overall the county has recorded 947 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic started.

As of Wednesday, Bluffton continued to lead the county with 246 cases.

South Carolina has recorded a total of 27,842 cases of the novel coronavirus and 683 deaths overall since the pandemic began.

Ten COVID-19 related deaths were confirmed Wednesday in the state. Eight of the people who died were elderly; two were middle aged, DHEC said.

Beaufort County’s seven-day average of new coronavirus cases continued to rise Wednesday. At 40, that average is the highest since the pandemic started.

The county’s lowest seven-day average for new cases was zero on May 9.

About 73% of hospital beds statewide were in use Wednesday.

About 832 of the 7,721 beds in use were occupied by patients who either tested positive or are under investigation for COVID-19.

DHEC data shows 73% of the beds in Beaufort County, and 66% in Jasper County, were in use.

DHEC does not provide a county-by-county breakdown of how hospital beds are being used.

Coronavirus-related deaths

Here are the Beaufort County deaths recorded by the coroner’s office as of Wednesday.

• An 81-year-old Beaufort man who died March 30.
• A 72-year-old Beaufort man who died March 31.
• An 86-year-old Hilton Head Island man who died April 3.
• An 89-year-old Hilton Head woman who died April 4.
• An 83-year-old Lady’s Island woman who died April 7.
• A 75-year-old Bluffton man who died April 9.
• A 71-year-old Hilton Head man who died April 12.
• A 93-year-old Bluffton man who died April 13.
• An 80-year-old Okatie man who died April 19.
• An 80-year-old Yemassee man who died April 23.
• An 84-year-old Beaufort man who died April 28.
• A 79-year-old Bluffton woman who died May 4.
• A 73-year-old Okatie woman who died May 26.
• A 59-year-old Okatie man who died May 27.
• A 74-year-old Beaufort women who died June 13.

• A 55-year-old Beaufort man who died June 13

• Elderly county resident whose death was reported June 24

Cases by ZIP code

Here is the breakdown of confirmed coronavirus cases in Beaufort County ZIP codes:

198 positive in Beaufort (29902)

103 positive northwest of Beaufort (29906)

43 positive east of Beaufort (29907)

51 positive in Okatie (29909)

246 positive in Bluffton (29910)

One positive on Daufuskie Island (29915)

42 positive on St. Helena Island (29920)

138 positive on Hilton Head Island (29926)

55 positive on Hilton Head (29928)

17 positive in Port Royal (29935)

35 positive in Ridgeland (29936)

52 positive in Hardeeville (29927)

Six positive in Seabrook (29940)

One positive in Sheldon (29941)

24 positive in Yemassee (29945)

Beaufort County could have as many as 5,817 undiagnosed cases, DHEC officials say.

DHEC does not provide an overall, county-by-county number of cases versus the number of people who have recovered. It also does not release any identifying information or specifics concerning underlying conditions someone who dies from the coronavirus might have had.

Positive cases are those in which a patient has been tested for and been diagnosed with coronavirus. Because of a lack of access to testing, state health officials have said that for every confirmed case, there could be up to nine people who are infected but have not been tested.

DHEC’s totals can have small increases and decreases day to day as officials find discrepancies in the data.

The total count of cases include anyone who has tested positive since the pandemic started. The data also includes those who have recovered or died.

DHEC counts deaths based on where the patient lives rather than where he or she died.

Coronavirus cases at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island are being reported in the 29902 ZIP code.

This story was originally published June 24, 2020 at 3:07 PM.